Koochiching County Released Inmates Search

Koochiching County released inmate records are maintained by the Koochiching County Sheriff's Office in International Falls, a border city that touches Canada and brings unique law enforcement considerations to this remote northern county. The county jail is going through a significant transition, with a new 40-bed facility under construction to replace an aging 1978 building, and the public can use state tools and direct contact with the Sheriff's Office to find current inmate and release information.

Koochiching County Sheriff's Office and Jail

The Koochiching County Sheriff's Office is at the Law Enforcement Center, 715 4th Street, International Falls, MN 56649. The main phone is (218) 283-4416 and the fax is (218) 283-7044. Sheriff Perryn Hedlund leads the office and can be reached by email at perryn.hedlund@co.koochiching.mn.us. For current inmate and release information, contact the Sheriff's Office directly by phone during business hours.

The existing jail was built in 1978 using a linear design that the Minnesota Department of Corrections has determined is no longer viable for security. In January 2022, the DOC ruled that the jail could only hold inmates for up to 90 days, with the threat of downgrading to a 72-hour holding facility if a replacement was not planned. The county acted on this: in 2024, Koochiching County approved a new $20 million, 40-bed jail facility designed with modern security systems, more efficient layout, and lower operating costs. Construction began in spring 2024 with an expected opening in early 2026. Until the new facility opens, the current jail operates under its DOC restrictions.

Koochiching County's location on the international border with Canada adds a layer of complexity to some cases. People arrested in the county may have connections across the border, and the Sheriff's Office coordinates with federal agencies on relevant matters. This does not change how basic public records work, but it is part of the context for this county's law enforcement operations. If you need information about someone with cross-border connections, federal tools like ICE's locator at locator.ice.gov may also be relevant depending on the situation.

The county jail roster is periodically available as a public document. Because the current facility operates under limitations, some inmates may be housed in other facilities depending on length of stay. Contact the Sheriff's Office to confirm where a specific person is being held if the jail roster does not show them.

Minnesota DOC Offender Locator

People sentenced to Minnesota state prisons after prosecution in Koochiching County will appear in the MN DOC Public Viewer rather than the local jail roster. This is the primary tool for tracking individuals serving longer sentences at state facilities.

The MN DOC Public Viewer is at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer. Search by name or offender ID. The viewer shows current custody status, facility location, release date information, and supervision type. If someone was prosecuted in Koochiching County and is serving time at a state prison, they will show up here. The system is free and open to the public with no login required.

The DOC viewer covers the full state system. It is updated regularly as inmates move between facilities or as their release dates change.

VINE Notification Service

VINE lets you track custody status and get automatic alerts when an inmate is released or moved. It covers Koochiching County's local facility and all Minnesota state prisons and jails. The service is free and does not require you to be a crime victim, though that is its primary intended audience.

Go to vinelink.com or call 877-664-8463 at any hour. You will need the person's name or inmate ID. VINE sends notifications by phone, text, or email as you prefer. For people in Koochiching County tracking someone's release from the aging jail or from a state facility where the person may have been transferred, VINE is the most reliable automated way to stay informed without calling the jail every day. The 877 line is staffed 24/7.

VINE is especially useful when inmates are transferred between facilities, which can happen more in a county like Koochiching where jail capacity constraints sometimes require moving people to other locations.

Predatory Offender Registry

Minnesota's Predatory Offender Registry covers individuals who must register their address with the state after release from custody for qualifying offenses. People living in Koochiching County who are required to register will appear in this database. Most of these individuals are in the community, not in jail.

Search at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicRegistrantSearch by name or location. The legal basis for registration is Minnesota Statute 243.166. Risk levels are set under Minnesota Statute 244.052. Level 3, the highest risk designation, triggers community notification. Level 1 and Level 2 registrants are searchable in the database but do not receive the same public notification. The Koochiching County Sheriff's Office coordinates local notification for high-risk registrants in the area.

Court Records and Criminal Case Data

Koochiching County court cases are accessible through Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. This statewide system covers criminal and civil cases filed in Koochiching County District Court. You can search by name, case number, or date range. Criminal records show charges, hearings, dispositions, and sentences, which gives you background on why someone was held at the county jail.

Some information in MCRO is free; copies of specific documents may cost a small fee. Juvenile records are protected and will not show in public searches. For certified background checks needed by employers or landlords, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca handles those requests through a formal process.

Public Access to Jail Data in Minnesota

What a county can share about its jail population is set by state law. Minnesota Statute 13.82 specifies what law enforcement data is public, and Minnesota Statute 13.85 covers what corrections data can be disclosed. Both statutes apply to Koochiching County's jail and Sheriff's Office operations.

Public data includes basic booking information: name, date of arrest, charges filed, and bail amounts. Investigation records and data on juveniles are not public. If the county jail roster does not answer your question, a formal data request under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act can get you more. The county is required to respond within a reasonable time and must explain what it can and cannot share under the law.

Cities in Koochiching County

International Falls is the county seat and largest city in Koochiching County. No cities in this county reach the 100,000 population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Koochiching County. Each has its own released inmate records.